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"There are two reasons not to believe a single word Washington Mutual lobbyist Suzanne Estey says"

Here is the article: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=19760

Please check the PDC. You will see that Democrats for Educational Reform and Nick Hanauer have just contributed $30K to Estey's PAC, which is now funded at $96K.

You may also want to note that Democrats for Education Reform and Nick Hanauer heavily pushed and Funded I 1240; the initiative that will give our public schools to private entities and elimninate the voices of voters.

Does Estey plan on returning to her role as a corporate puppet? Should we believe Suzanne Dale Estey?

In 2004 Josh Feit called Suzanne Dale Estey's character into question and it seems history is repeating itself.

Estey claims not to support charters, but her backers, funders and history remain very concerning.

Also concerning is the fact that Estey told the 37th Dems that she did not know her top 5 contributors. Does anyone believe Estey didn't know that some of the wealthies individuals in our country contributed to her campaign?

Shocking! Someone call The Stranger to get the news spread widely. This is Corporate Education Reform buying itself a seat at the table.

Since Smith Blum flamed and folded no doubt because her business buddies clashed with her not corporate view of education, the charterites have been rubbing their hands. Now they've put their riches where their loud mouths are.

Also, Estey lobbied for the morally bankrupt WA Mu execs? Why did we not know this sooner?

Hmm... well there are certainly some interesting names on the PDC lists for Ms. Estey. And the database kinda belies the "grassroots" aspects a bit when you sort by employer - because then a picture of who is really behind who becomes clearer for both candidates. Fascinating.

My husband is auditing a weather class at UW taught by Cliff Mass. Science professor Mass has been an outspoken advocate for a better math curriculum in SPS and told my husband that improved math materials at selected Seattle public schools are far superior to the discovery, everyday math textbooks. He suggested donating to the Sue Peters campaign if people want this approach extended to more schools.

On another subject, the Wall Street Journal today has an article about problems with large school district investments in tablets. Students get around security passwords to find games and inappropriate content. Parents are unsure of liability of broken screens and lost devices. Billions of dollars will go to technology in schools and expectations of higher test scores may be misplaced.

It may be more important to study what kids are learning (curriculum), instead of how it is delivered (tablets).

Well one thing about the kerfuffle is it finally got my attention in the school board race.

I was able to look at the two candidates web sites and read about the funding behind Estey's candidacy, which I agree is shocking. I'm now soundly a Sue Peters supporter (and I wasn't paying much attention before). I like Peter's views, and her endorsements, on the whole and she matches my generally progressive views in favor of teachers, against educational reform that undermines the value of the human value of teacher labor (i.e. emphasis on tech, efficiency, metrics), and I've enjoyed Peters' blog articles.

I feel like I'm not an outlier on this website, but worried about the effect of the money on the election. I like Peters' positions, but she does project as a certain kind of north side progressive who may not gain sufficient exposure and traction among the people of the entire city (especially if business/more conservative folks oppose her).

My mother says her neighbor has an Estey sign. I was able fill in the grandparents that Estey is not the preferred candidate -- they were shocked by the money being spent and agree that big money education reform doesn't support SPS children.

And, by my second paragraph -- the difficulty with traction -- I mean that her supporters are going to have to get out and do something to counteract the money.

I think that the idea that we are going to make the money going away with campaign reform isn't going to gain a lot of traction, and certainly not traction in time to do anything for this election. I'm truly worried about the money -- I think there are reasonable arguments that it can't actually sway presidential elections, but school board elections? I'm a frequent visitor of this board, and I still wasn't paying attention to this election. Blanketing the city with misleading fliers will have an effect and supporters need to reach out of our bubbles to talk about the candidate. Am trying to figure out how to do it myself; talking to my mom probably isn't enough, though it was something.

DW, there are funding limits - $900 to the campaign per election (so primary and general for a total of $1800). Problem is, like for all other races, anyone can form a PAC and give as much as they like and that's exactly what's happening for Dale Estey.

That group is ALL ed reformers.

Let's see what they spend that money on. The positive campaign that Dale Estey says she wants versus the campaign the ed reformers think will win it.

12-year-old committed suicide after being bullied. 14-year-old and 12-year-old charged with felonies for unrelenting harassment, including telling the bullied girl to "drink bleach and die".

The sheriff delivering felony charges has extremely harsh words for the parents of the 14-year-old. Apparently the parents claim their daughter's online account was hacked and that she did not post the hateful comments. The sheriff says the parents should have taken the accused electronic device and smashed it into 1000 pieces. Tells them "stop being your child's best friend. Be their best parents."

I just received a letter from Alliance for Education thanking me for my past donation to my child's school and then a full 2-page marketing fluff about the Seattle Teacher Residency (STR). The fluff piece ends with, "And right now, Marcy and I need you to pick up your pen - or go to your computer to log on to www.alliance4ed.org - and make a donation to the Alliance for Education. STR is just one of our innovative new solutions to old problems in public education, and we can't do this work without you. Sincerely, Sara Morris"

What, can't The Alliance rub the genie bottle er tap Hanauer and Matt Griffin and etc. and just bankroll the whole thing? If they're dropping $15K at a pop on school board races surely they can turn their pockets inside out for a worthy cause. Perhaps they're saving their Benjamins to fund charter staffing.

I was called yesterday afternoon by a polling agency. Some questions were about the Mayor's race and issues around it ex. transportation & infrastructure but the majority dealt with Seattle Public Schools. Specifically, a question asked if the respondent knew how Seattle Public Schools Superintendent is "appointed." Several choices were given along with the correct one. I let the questioner know that the Superintendent is hired by the School Board not appointed -there is a difference. The Seattle Superintendent is not part of the Mayor's cabinet. Other questions asked if you favored the Mayor appointing both the school board and superintendent. Or do you favor some elected board members and some mayoral appointees. Someone or organization is testing the waters for legislation to allow Mayoral take-overs of our schools.

Yes, I know about the $900 limits (my wording above wasn't great), but I guess my point is that it's almost worthless because these guys can create PACs and make a mockery of the limits. They're literally thumbing their noses at the intent of the law.

As zb pointed out, it's an issue because in small races like this it's easy to completely overwhelm the fundraising efforts of a grassroots campaign, and there's a science to the strategies of how to use that money to optimally sway uneducated voters.

I think the best hope a candidate like Sue Peters has is for all of her supporters (that means YOU, not everyone else!) to make an effort right now, i.e. TODAY to call or email 3 friends that you think do not follow school district issues. Tell them why you support her, and then ask them to call or email 3 friends. It will be very, very difficult to win this election without reaching out to the non-education wonks.

Charlie, as you might expect, it is both. There are many principals who either think they are above the law, or really have no flipping clue and think IEPs are negotiable or not really necessary. The lack of ownership and accountability extends up through the Executive Directors of Schools, who have their eyes on teacher and principal evals and the current Realpolitik. Some think it is their job to practice CYA for their principals. General Ed teachers think SpEd students aren't their responsibility, seeming to forget that they are "general education students first" as the law clearly states.

There are enough of DeBell's machinations in the ether that he should think twice.

Along those lines, I posted this on The Stranger thread about Jean Bryant's fishing expedition on behalf of her choice Suzanne Dale-Estey:

"As the parent who posted those gosh darn Enfield emails, I say they cast a public employee in a very bad light (thanks to the "sunshine" laws in our State). And the emails between her predecessor Goodloe-Johnson with a wanna-be district vendor NWEA about appointment to their board while she was "considering" using their MAP test? Oh SNAP!

NotVoting, your protests are lame. Bryant's request is clearly on the Public Records log well into the primary. She did not request a specific topic like "Teach for America" or NWEA MAP or Silas Potter, she asked for Peter's emails with her child's teacher between certain dates, and Peters with the discredited principal Rina Geoghagen between another range of dates. That's fishing.

As for FERPA, a now-gutted law poorly protecting educational records, it prohibits release of educational records with personally-identifiable information to anyone without a "legitimate educational interest". (I doubt Bryant's interest was educational in nature.) Redaction would be necessary, but given that the child's and parent's name are evident in the nature of the request itself, the records should be considered unredactable; case law calls for withholding the records.

The Public Records Act states a person's "right to privacy" is invaded or violated if disclosure 1) is not of legitimate concern to the public, and 2) would be highly offensive to a reasonable person. From the sounds of public reaction to Bryant's hijinks, there are many reasonable people out there.

Those spreading innuendo and defaming anyone's character is Bryant and her friends."

Education Acroynms

Advanced Learning - SPS' three-tier program for advanced learners. Made up of APP, Spectrum and ALOs. (Note: the name of the district program is "Advanced Learning Services and Programs" but these three programs fall under "Highly Capable Services" of AL Services and Programs.

ALO - Advanced Learning Opportunity, the third tier of SPS' Advanced Learning program

AP - Advanced Placement. A national program of college-level classes given in high schools.

APP - Accelerated Progress Program. One of the levels of the Advanced Learning Program. NOTE: the name of this program is now "HIGHLY CAPABLE COHORT." This change occurred in 2014.

ASB - Associated Student Body. High school leadership groups.

AYP - Adequate Yearly Progress. Part of NCLB.

BEX - Building Excellence. SPS' capital renovation/rebuilding program that is funded via the BEX levy. Every 3 years there is the Operations levy and either the BEX or BTA levies as those two levies rotate in six year cycles).

BLT - Building Leadership Team. Staff members at a school who meet regularly to discuss building issues.

BTA - Buildings, Technology, Academics. The major maintenance/other capital fund for SPS. Originally BTA was to cover major maintenance like HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), roofs, waterlines, etc.) but now covers wide swaths of items like athletic fields, technology and funding academic needs.

CAICEE - Community Advisory Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence. Created by former Superintendent Manhas in 2008, to issue a report about reform recommendations for SPS.

CSIP - Continuous School Improvement Plan, the plan for improvement for each school as required by state law.

EOC - End of Course Assessments, given in math and science, required for high school graduationESEA - Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the federal law that governs education, includes the NCLB accountability provisions.

e-STEM or e-STEAM - STEM or STEAM curriculum with an environmental focus.

FACMAC - Facilities and Capacity Management Advisory Committee. A district committee comprises of an all-volunteer citizen group created in 2012 to help bring research and ideas to capacity management issues in the district.

FERPA - Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. A federal law that protects students' privacy

FRL - Free and reduced lunch.

FTE - Full Time Equivalent

FY - Fiscal Year

Highly Capable Services - NEW name (as of 2014) as umbrella name for these programs: Highly Capable Cohort (formerly APP), Spectrum and ALO (Advanced Learning Opportunities).

HSPE - High School Proficiency Exam, state assessment that replaced the WASL for 10th graders, required for graduation

HQT - Highly Qualified Teacher, a standard set by federal law

IA - Instructional Assistant

IB - International Baccalaureate program. An international program of advanced classes that can either be taken as stand alone or as part of an overall IB program.

IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The federal law that governs special education

MAP - Measures of Academic Progress. A computer-based adaptive assessment made by NWEA and originally purchased by the district for use as a district-wide formative assessment but now used for a wide variety of purposes.

MSP - Measurement of Student Progress, the state proficiency assessment that replaced the WASL for students in grades 1-8

MTSS - Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

NCLB - No Child Left Behind, a provision of the federal education law, ESEA, introduced during the George W. Bush administration